1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stable liquid detergent compositions having superior detergent properties.
There has been considerable demand for liquid detergent compositions which provide superior detergency under a wide variety of conditions including cool water conditions. In order to obtain superior detergency under a wide variety of conditions, a number of components are needed. The formulation of stable liquid detergent compositions is difficult when the components tend to separate into discrete phases.
2. State of the Art
Liquid detergent compositions suitable for use in a home laundry operation first made their appearance during the period 1957-1960. In general, this involved an adaptation of granular detergent formulations into liquid form and utilized an alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant and polyphosphate detergency builder system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,557 issued Nov. 7, 1967, to Almstead et al is directed to the special problems of formulating a stable liquid detergent and discloses surfactant systems comprising an ethoxylated alkyl phenol and a sultaine or amine oxide surfactant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,563 issued Oct. 22, 1974, to Davies et al discloses granular detergent compositions comprising a mixed ethoxylated alcohol-amine oxide surfactant system and an alkali metal carbonate.
The effectiveness of certain surfactant combinations involving ethoxylated nonionics and semi-polar or zwitterionic surfactants such as amine oxides or sultaines, has been recognized. However, it has not been known to form stable emulsions of the surfactant combinations of the present invention by using hydrophobic emulsifiers.
It is an object of this invention to provide a stable liquid detergent composition which has superior detergency characteristics, including cool water detergency characteristics.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a compatible, multi-component, liquid detergent composition in the form of a stable emulsion.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide mixtures of detergent compounds in a convenient concentrated liquid form.
These and other objects can be achieved by the compositions of the invention as hereinafter described.